How many amps should an iPhone 5s car charger output?

Question

When looking on Amazon for a car charger I noticed that different items have different amp values, 2.1 and 3.1 being the most frequent. What is the recommended value?

Does it even matter? Is there more to it than the fact that more amps mean faster charging?

Answer 1

More amps will not mean faster charging. The iPhone (and any electronic device) will only take as much current as it requires, and no more. The iPhone will take 1A to charge, and an iPad will take 2.1A.

There's no harm in using a charger that is capable of providing more current than a device requires, but there's no benefit either.

Providing less current than the device requires will lead to longer charging times, or no charging at all.

Answer 2

I disagree with parts of Nathaniel's answer. The normal iphone charger is 5W and just over an amp. Using an iPad charger, either the 10W or newer 12W will absolutely charge your iphone faster. In fact, almost twice as fast. However there's some speculation that it may shorten the battery's lifespan. I've had no problems using an iPad charger on my 5S and it's charged in no time. So, you take a chance I guess but yes, the 2.1 amp ipad charger will cut charging time down considerably.

Answer 3

I'm using a 2.1 Amp charger for my iPhone 5 and it's charging extremely fast from 0 to 30 in just 15 minutes !

Answer 4

Car chargers typically mis-represent the amperage they supply. I have several, most of which indicate 2.1A, and they re-charge my iPad 4 and iPhone 6 at different rates. Price is no guarantee, but in my experience, the correlation holds: the brand-name Griffin PowerJolt is my most expensive, and fastest car charger.

https://store.griffintechnology.com/ipad/powerblock-powerjolt-wall-and-car-chargers-with-lightning-connector

Answer 5

The I-pad chargers supply current at 12V and not 5V thus it will not charge the phone faster but will damage the charging port.*

*This is completely wrong. Current is measured in amps (I) not volts (V). Where wattage is W: W = IxV.

I do not know if higher wattages will damage your phone, but I do know when I accidentally hook-up my iPhone to my iPad charger, it heats up considerably.... I'd be very concert that if left for an extended period this would overheat and permanently damage my phone!